October 17, 2007
Staph Infections are a Concern in Montana
Sports activities are in full swing all over Montana this October from youth leagues up to the college ranks.
Teams are battling for playoff spots and championships will soon be decided.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) reminds all parents, coaches and trainers to be mindful of an increasing risk for young athletes: staph infections.
Naturally, scrapes and cuts suffered on the playing field offer an open invitation to stubborn germs that lead to infection. In most cases, antibiotics and other treatment take care of most skin, or staph, infections.
But what has Communicable Disease Surveillance Coordinator Bonnie Barnard of DPHHS concerned are studies showing an increase in drug-resistant staph infections, in particular a germ called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
In response to concerns in Montana and nationwide, the Montana Antibiotic Resistance Awareness program posted guidelines last month on its website offering information on how to prevent and control community associated MRSA skin and soft tissue infections.
Among other data, the report shares that nationwide as many as 59 percent of skin infections seen in emergency departments can be attributed to MRSA.
Additional information can be accessed at www.mara.mt.gov.
The Montana Antibiotic Resistance Awareness guidelines highlight four simple steps to help prevent skin infections, including those caused by MRSA:
- Hand washing is the single most important behavior in preventing the transmission o many infectious diseases, including MRSA.
- Keep open wounds clean and covered.
- Don’t share personal items such as towels, razors, and bedding.
- Clean environmental surfaces regularly.
In recent years, staph infections were most commonly associated with healthcare settings. That’s not the case today, Barnard said. “Infectious diseases that we previously thought were just related to healthcare facilities are now affecting people who have never been hospitalized,” she said. “We are seeing more MRSA in our communities.”
It is important to remember that there are many people working to prevent and control infectious diseases, Barnard added. While public health professionals focus their efforts on this issue in the community, infection prevention and control professionals work on the same issues in the healthcare setting.
Jennifer Mellgren Blackford, an infection prevention and control professional for the Billings Clinic, is keenly aware how the issue of disease prevention covers a wide spectrum. “The prevention and control of infections today is everybody’s business,” she said.
The week of Oct. 14-20 is International Infection Prevention Week and Blackford encourages the public to learn about how to prevent the spread of infections.
For additional information about the prevention of infections visit the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology website at www.apic.org.
